Inlay for secondary packaging

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a blank for producing an inlay and to an inlay for a secondary packaging, wherein the blank is rectangular and consists of a material with a corrugation profile, and the blank has at least four fold marks, which are parallel to the corrugation profile. The invention also relates to the use of the inlay for holding edge-stable, rectangular products in a secondary packaging.

The invention relates to an inlay for a secondary packaging with a rectangular base area for holding edge-stable, rectangular products.

DE 299 10 815 U1 discloses unipartite blanks which can also be made of corrugated cardboard and used for encapsulating products, i.e. for producing what are known as dividers. What is involved here is cushioning products, such as bottles, on all sides and packaging them in a shockproof manner. For this purpose, the blank is provided with adhesive tabs and adhesive-bonding faces.

JP 2008-081147 A discloses a unipartite blank which, when correspondingly folded, is intended to serve for holding products. The position of the products is predetermined by punched-out portions in the blank. The number of punched-out portions gives the maximum number of products held.

It is intended to develop a transport-stable secondary packaging for a plurality of products packaged in primary packaging, in particular for products from the pharmaceutical sector. Here, it is assumed that a secondary packaging with a rectangular base area, for example a standard folding-box structure, is the secondary packaging and edge-stable, rectangular products are the products packaged in primary packaging. In order to secure the products packaged in primary packaging in a stable manner against slipping and possible resultant damage, an inlay is required. The inlay is intended to be suitable for the purpose of holding and protecting the products packaged in primary packaging and furthermore to be removal-friendly and easily produced and to adapt flexibly to slight variations in the size and quantity of the secondary packaging.

An essential constituent part of the inlay is a rectangular blank which consists of a material with a corrugation profile. The blank has a width B parallel to the corrugation profile and a length L at a right angle to the corrugation profile, that is to say substantially along a constant position in the corrugation profile. The blank has at least four fold marks, which are parallel to the corrugation profile. In order to mount the inlay, the blank is bent at the fold marks such that the face between the two inner fold marks forms a base and the respectively adjoining faces form side faces which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the base, with the result that a U-shaped structure is produced. The faces which are arranged on the outside at the outer fold marks of the blank, the clamping faces, are either both bent over in the direction of the interior of the U-shaped structure or both bent over in the direction of the exterior of the U-shaped structure. The angle between the clamping faces and side faces of the U-shaped structure, whether it is inwards or outwards, varies in the range of from 5 degrees to 90 degrees. The blank which is folded or bent at the fold marks in this way forms the inlay.

The outer faces which are bent down outwardly at an angle in the range of from 5 degrees to 90 degrees, preferably 5 degrees to 70 degrees, particularly preferably 5 degrees to 30 degrees, with respect to the respective side wall serve as clamping devices which, when the inlay is being inserted in the secondary packaging, serve to resiliently support the substantially perpendicular side walls of the inlay against the wall of the secondary packaging. An edge-stable, rectangular product which is inserted perpendicular to the corrugation profile in the inlay and has a width which corresponds substantially to the width of the base and/or the spacing between the side walls of the inlay brings about a counterforce with respect to the clamping device, with the result that the side walls of the inlay are stabilized on both sides in the secondary packaging.

As an alternative, the outer faces are bent down inwardly at an angle in the range of from 5 degrees to 90 degrees, preferably 5 degrees to 45 degrees, particularly preferably 5 degrees to 15 degrees, with respect to the respective side wall. They serve as clamping devices which, when the inlay is being inserted in the secondary packaging, in combination with the edge-stable, rectangular product press the substantially perpendicular side walls of the inlay resiliently against the wall of the secondary packaging. For this purpose, it is necessary that an edge-stable, rectangular product which has a width corresponding substantially to the width of the base and/or the spacing between the side walls of the inlay is inserted perpendicular to the corrugation profile in the inlay. The inwardly bent-down outer faces are supported resiliently against the product and press the side walls outwards against the wall of the secondary packaging. This can have the effect that the side walls of the inlay are no longer oriented precisely perpendicular to the base, but rather the angle between the base and the side wall is enlarged by a few degrees beyond 90 degrees, e.g. to up to 95 degrees. In this embodiment, the edge-stable, rectangular products are mounted in a particularly stable manner in the inlay when, in addition to the corrugation profile present, the edge at the ends of the blank that come into contact with the edge-stable, rectangular products is also corrugated and has a similar, preferably the same, corrugation length as the corrugation profile of the blank. Thus, the edge-stable, rectangular products are also fixed on the third side in a certain position, predefined by a corrugation trough. As an alternative, the edge at the end of the blank can also contain slots, preferably at a spacing which corresponds to the spacing between the corrugation troughs in the corrugation profile. The edge-stable, rectangular product can engage into the slots and thus additionally be fixed in a predefined position.

The spacing of the two outer fold marks from the edge of the blank is smaller than the spacing between the fold marks between which the side walls are formed, and therefore the clamping devices can be inserted in an effective and space-saving manner.

In an alternative embodiment, the two outer fold marks of the blank do not extend over the entire width B of the blank, but rather only over a central partial region of the width B of the blank. In addition, the blank has cuts or perforations in the longitudinal direction of the blank between the ends of the outer fold marks and the respectively closest fold marks. In this embodiment, the side walls of the inlay after bending/folding are formed between the first or second end of the blank and the second fold mark numbered from the respective end of the blank. The faces for the clamping devices are disposed in the manner of a window in the side walls and can be folded out towards the interior or exterior of the U-shaped structure. The function of stabilizing the side wall of the inlay between the edge-stable, rectangular product and the wall of the secondary packaging is the same as in the embodiments described above.

One or more edge-stable, rectangular products can be inserted in the U-shaped region of the inlay between the base and the side walls. Advantageously, an inlay has a plurality of U-shaped regions that lie next to one another for receiving one or more edge-stable, rectangular products. For this purpose, the blank from which the inlay is folded has, for example, seven fold marks for two U-shaped regions that lie next to one another or ten fold marks for three U-shaped regions that lie next to one another. By means of in each case three further fold marks with corresponding spacings from one another and the existing fold marks in the blank, the inlay can in each case be enlarged around a U-shaped region.

From seven fold marks and/or two U-shaped regions that lie next to one another, using the fourth (sixth, tenth . . . ) fold marks from one end of the blank, a centre wall is formed by bending being performed at these fold marks of the blank by 180 degrees. The faces which lie against these folding edges/bending edges thus come to lie parallel to one another, and the result is a double-layer centre wall. The height of this centre wall depends on the spacing between the two fold marks which lie closest to the fourth (seventh, tenth . . . ) fold marks. This spacing should be in the range of from 50% to 100% of the spacing of the respectively two outermost fold marks between which the side walls are formed.

The fold marks are produced by scoring, grooving or perforation of the blank. At the fold marks, the blank is folded (mechanically) or bent (manually) so that bent edges form and the blank regions which adjoin the fold marks are at a new, predefined angle with respect to one another.

Plastic with a corrugation profile or paper or corrugated cardboard comes into consideration as a material for the blank from which the inlay is bent or folded. The corrugation profile is important because it makes it possible to hold the edge-stable, rectangular products perpendicularly in the inlay. For this purpose, the individual edge-stable, rectangular products are positioned in the U-shaped regions such that with their edges they come into contact with a corrugation trough of the corrugation profile on three sides. The minimum spacing between the edge-stable, rectangular products is thus predefined by the configuration of the corrugation profile.

In order to keep the edge-stable, rectangular products stable even during transport and when being individually removed, the inlay has the clamping devices described above. The restoring forces at the outside bending edges and the material strength result in the tension required to keep the edge-stable, rectangular products in the desired position.

Polystyrene, foam or air-bubble sheet, for example, can be used as a plastic with a corrugation profile.

An open corrugated cardboard having a material strength in the range of from 40 g/m² to 200 g/m², preferably in the range of from 60 g/m² to 150 g/m², particularly preferably in the range of from 80 g/m² to 120 g/m², and having a corrugation size or corrugation type in the range of from F-flute to C-flute in accordance with DIN 55468-1:2015-06, can be used as corrugated cardboard.

A padded paper with air pockets can be used as paper with a corrugation profile.

The inlay is suitable for use in a secondary packaging having a rectangular base area which in a first dimension is not less than the width of the blank B. With respect to the second dimension of the base area, the inlay and secondary packaging should be matched to one another such that the size of the base area of the secondary packaging in the second dimension is greater than the length which results from the sum of the longitudinal extent of the base areas of the inlay, and less than the length which results from the sum of the longitudinal extent of the base areas of the inlay plus the longitudinal extent of the outer faces forming the clamping device. Only in this way can it be ensured that the inlay with the edge-stable, rectangular products is mounted stably in the secondary packaging.

Edge-stable, rectangular products are, for example, sachets, blister packs, four-edge sealed pouches or tubular pouches.

The secondary packaging having a rectangular base area can be a box of wood, plastic, metal or cardboard, and in particular a folding box.

The inlay according to the invention makes it possible to stably position edge-stable, rectangular products in a secondary packaging having a rectangular base area. It is removal-friendly, easy to produce and, within certain limits, can be adapted flexibly to the size of the secondary packaging.

FIGURES AND EXAMPLES

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures and will be explained in more detail below. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a blank for an inlay with 2 U-shaped regions

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view and front view of a first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions having a clamping device in the form of outwardly bent-down outer faces positioned at the top of the side walls

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view and front view of a variant of the first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions having a clamping device in the form of inwardly bent-down outer faces positioned at the top of the side walls

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view and front view of a second embodiment of the inlay with a clamping device in the form of outwardly bent-down outer faces positioned inside the side walls

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions in a secondary packaging with a product

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions in a secondary packaging with a product

FIG. 7 shows a front view of a variant of the first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions in a secondary packaging with a product

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a variant of the first embodiment of the inlay with 2 U-shaped regions in a secondary packaging with a product

FIG. 9 shows corrugation sizes and corrugation types in accordance with DIN 55468-1:2015-06.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   10—Blank -   11—First end -   12—Second end -   13—Corrugation profile -   14 a—Outer fold mark -   14 b—Central fold mark -   14 c—Fold mark -   14 d—Fold mark -   15—Base -   16—Side wall -   17—Clamping face -   18—Centre wall -   20—Inlay -   30—Secondary packaging -   40—Edge-stable, rectangular product -   L—Length of the blank -   B—Width of the blank -   x—First axis -   y—Second axis -   α—Angle between the clamping face and side wall on the outside -   β—Angle between the clamping face and the side wall on the inside

FIG. 1 shows a rectangular blank 10 for an inlay 20 with 2 U-shaped regions. The blank 10 has a width B parallel to the corrugation profile 22 and a length L at a right angle to the corrugation profile, i.e. along a constant position in the corrugation profile. The length L extends along a first axis x from the first end 11 of the blank 10 to the second end 12 of the blank 10. The width B extends along a second axis y which is perpendicular to the first axis x. The embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, of the blank 10 has seven fold marks 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d which are parallel to the second axis y. The spacing of the two outer fold marks 14 a from the first and second end (11, 12) of the blank 10 is smaller than the spacing between the fold marks 14 c and 14 a.

In order to mount the inlay 20, the blank 10 is bent at the fold marks 14 c and 14 d by 90 degrees such that the faces between the two inner fold marks 14 c and 14 d form a base 15 in each case and the respectively adjoining faces form side walls 16 and/or centre walls 18 which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the base 15 (see FIGS. 2-4), with the result that two U-shaped structures that lie next to one another are produced. The faces which are arranged on the outside at the outer fold marks 14 a of the blank 10, the clamping faces 17, are either both bent over in the direction of the interior of the U-shaped structure (FIG. 3) or both bent over in the direction of the exterior of the U-shaped structure (FIG. 2).

The angle α between the clamping faces 17 and side walls 16 of the U-shaped structure, in the case of the clamping faces 17 which are bent over in the direction of the exterior of the U-shaped structure, in FIG. 2 is approximately 60 degrees.

The angle β between the clamping faces 17 and side walls 16 of the U-shaped structure, in the case of the clamping faces 17 which are bent over in the direction of the interior of the U-shaped structure, in FIG. 3 is approximately 35 degrees.

In the case of the inwardly bent-over clamping faces 17 in FIG. 3, in the perspective view, the corrugated edge at the outer end 11, 12 of the clamping face 17 can be clearly seen. The corrugated edge can additionally fix an edge-stable, rectangular product 40.

In the alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, of the inlay 20, the two outer fold marks 14 a of the blank do not extend over the entire width B of the blank 10, but rather only over a central partial region of the width B of the blank 10. In addition, the blank 10 has cuts or perforations in the longitudinal direction of the blank 10 between the ends of the outer fold marks 14 a and the respectively closest fold mark 14 c. In this embodiment, the side walls 16 of the inlay 20 after bending/folding have been formed between the first or second end 11, 12 of the blank 10 and the second fold mark 14 c numbered from the respective end 11, 12 of the blank 10. The faces for the clamping devices 17 are disposed in the manner of a window in the side walls 16 and can be folded out towards the exterior of the U-shaped structure.

FIG. 5, in a front view, and FIG. 6, in a perspective view, show an inlay 20 with 2 U-shaped regions which are located in a secondary packaging 30. In each U-shaped region, an edge-stable, rectangular product 40 has been inserted. The edge-stable, rectangular product 40 has been inserted in the inlay 20 perpendicular to the corrugation profile 13 into a corrugation trough of the blank 10. The edge-stable, rectangular product 40 has a width which corresponds substantially to the width of the base 15 and/or the spacing between the side wall 16 and the centre wall 18 of the inlay 20. The edge-stable, rectangular product 40 brings about a counterforce with respect to the outwardly bent clamping devices 17, with the result that the side walls 16 of the inlay 20 are stabilized in the secondary packaging 30 from both sides. The two centre walls 18 are also held in position by the edge-stable, rectangular product 40. Since the length of the secondary packaging 30 is only a little greater than the length of the two bases 15, the pressure between the walls of the secondary packaging 30 and the clamping devices 17 is strong enough that the clamping devices 17 form a very small angle with the side walls of the inlay 20. The pressure between the walls of the secondary packaging 30 and the clamping devices 17 makes it more difficult for the inlay 20 to slip in the secondary packaging 30.

At the top edge of the centre wall 18, which has been formed at the fold mark 14 b, the corrugation profile 13 extending over the width of the blank can be clearly seen.

FIG. 7, in a front view, and FIG. 8, in a perspective view, show an inlay 20 with 2 U-shaped regions that is located in a secondary packaging 30. In each U-shaped region, as in the example in FIGS. 5 and 6, an edge-stable, rectangular product 40 has been inserted. The clamping devices 17, bent down inwardly here, are supported resiliently against the edge-stable, rectangular product 40 and press the side walls 16 outwards against the wall of the secondary packaging 30. As a result, the side walls 16 of the inlay 20 are no longer oriented precisely perpendicular to the base 16, but rather are tilted by a few degrees outwardly against the wall of the secondary packaging 30. A slipping of the inlay 20 in the secondary packaging 30 is made more difficult by the friction between the inlay 20 and the secondary packaging 30.

For the inlays in FIGS. 5 to 8, a corrugated cardboard having a material strength of 90 g/m² and an E-flute is used. For the inlays according to the invention, corrugated cardboards having corrugation sizes in the range of C-flutes, D-flutes, E-flutes or F-flutes are particularly suitable. The dimensions of these corrugation sizes are defined in DIN 55468-1:2015-06. The corresponding overview is shown in FIG. 9. 

1. A blank for producing an inlay for a secondary packaging, wherein the blank is rectangular and comprises a material with a corrugation profile having a length and a width, wherein the length extends along a first axis from a first end of the blank to a second end of the blank, and the width extends along a second axis, and the corrugation profile runs along the second axis, and the blank has at least four fold marks, which are parallel to the second axis.
 2. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the blank has seven or ten parallel fold marks.
 3. The blank according to claim 1, wherein spacing of two outer fold marks from the first end and second end of the blank is smaller than spacing of two outer fold marks from closest fold marks.
 4. The blank according to claim 3, wherein the two outer fold marks do not extend over an entire width of the blank and the blank has two cuts or perforations in a longitudinal direction of the blank between two ends of the outer fold marks and the respectively closest fold mark.
 5. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the blank has seven fold marks and spacing of a central fold mark from two fold marks adjacent thereto is up to 50% smaller than spacing between fold marks between which side walls are formed.
 6. The blank according to claim 1, wherein an edge at a first end of the blank and at a second end of the blank is corrugated.
 7. The blank according to claim 1, wherein the blank comprises plastic with a corrugation profile or paper or corrugated cardboard.
 8. The blank according to claim 7, wherein the plastic is polystyrene, foam or air-bubble sheet.
 9. The blank according to claim 7, wherein the corrugated cardboard is an open corrugated cardboard with a material strength in the range of from 40 g/m² to 200 g/m², optionally in the range of from 60 g/m² to 150 g/m², optionally in the range of from 80 g/m² to 120 g/m² and has a corrugation size in the range of C-flute, D-flute, E-flute or F-flute.
 10. The blank according to claim 7, wherein the paper is padded paper with one or more air pockets.
 11. An inlay for a secondary packaging, comprising a blank according to claim 1 which is folded or bent at outer fold marks such that faces adjoining the outer fold marks form an angle in the range of from 5 degrees to 90 degrees with respect to one another.
 12. The inlay according to claim 10 which has been folded at the fold marks such that faces adjoining second and third fold marks from an outside portion in each case are at a substantially perpendicular angle with respect to one another and form a U-shaped profile.
 13. The inlay according to claim 10, wherein the blank is folded or bent at a central fold mark in the case of a blank with seven fold marks and at fourth and seventh fold marks from outside in the case of a blank with 10 fold marks, such that faces lying against said fold marks lie parallel with respect to one another and form a centre wall.
 14. The inlay according to claim 11, wherein secondary packaging has a rectangular base area with length M and width C, and width B of the blank does not exceed either the length M or the width C.
 15. A product comprising an inlay according to claim 11 for holding one or more edge-stable, rectangular products in a secondary packaging.
 16. A product comprising an inlay according to claim 15, wherein the edge-stable, rectangular products are sachets, blister packs, four-edge sealed pouches or tubular pouches.
 17. A packaging system comprising an inlay according to claim 11 and a secondary packaging according.
 18. The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein the secondary packaging is a folding box.
 19. The packaging system according to claim 17, wherein the packaging system comprises a plurality of edge-stable, rectangular products which are held by the inlay in a predefined position.
 20. The packaging system according to claim 19, wherein the edge-stable, rectangular products are sachets, blister packs, four-edge sealed pouches or tubular pouches. 